Oh dear Taylor. Lowdens got you beat

BigLicks67 · April 2016

Gassage said:

I'm sorry but I'm a huge Lowden fan and I'd suggest this is like comparing a BMW with a Bugatti Veyron.

I'd say that they're not even competing in the same niche of the market.

I'd agree with this - Lowden's are made in small numbers and start at a higher price point. Taylor are factory produced and cover a massive spectrum in terms of price range. Therefore, I suggest you would be subconsciously expecting more from a Lowden given its starting price point and reputation.

AuldReekie · April 2016

Feel Lowdens are overpriced, good guitars but def prefer my MciLroy to any Lowden I have played. Had a Taylor dreadnought - it was the first quality acoustic I owned - and frankly wish I had taken a bit more time and tried other makes before jumping in and buying it. After the initial honeymoon period, realised I just didnt like it and have never liked any Taylor I have played, find their sound a bit one dimensional and no subtlety in their tone. The Taylor was replaced by a Santa Cruz dreadnought which was a great guitar provided that you hammered it, no use for gently playing. Build quality was superb and it was a great guitar, just not the right one for me. Around the same time I discovered Larrivee and now own three. A TSB SD50 12 fret dreadnought replaced the Santa Cruz and it is simply awesome. I tried a Collings 12 fret not long after getting it and would not swop my Larry for it. My two others are a C09 -Larrivees own jumbo model, spruce rosewood with a Florentine cutaway and an OM09 - spruce/rosewood orchestra model. The three Larry are fine instruments - not fat behind the MciLroy for quality- and IMHO superior in every way to Taylors and I also prefer them to Martins.

My Nigel Forster acoustic is different class though and if you are willing to spend Lowden type money, than a custom build might be the way to go

Wazmeister · April 2016

@auldreekie - interesting write up mate, thanks for that...

I must admit I fancy a change acoustically. Since my pedal gas has been reduced, I know find it's acoustics and amps that draw my attention !

Ive loved my Taylor. It's a very rare Tobacco Sunburst 614ce Ltd (Fall) Edition 30th Anniversary. I custom ordered it from new.

But Ive always fancied a Lowden (I guess inspired by Richard Thompson). The sustain and chime on some of them sounds incredible...

ICBM · April 2016

Wazmeister said:

I must admit I fancy a change acoustically. Since my pedal gas has been reduced, I know find it's acoustics and amps that draw my attention !
Ive loved my Taylor. It's a very rare Tobacco Sunburst 614ce Ltd (Fall) Edition 30th Anniversary. I custom ordered it from new.
But Ive always fancied a Lowden (I guess inspired by Richard Thompson). The sustain and chime on some of them sounds incredible…

Make sure you play a Lowden properly before before you sell your Taylor, if that's necessary.

I loved hearing John Renbourn play a Lowden too, he was one of my favourite players. I had nearly the same model (O10, his was an O12), but it really didn't work for me. At all.

mgaw · April 2016

there are numerous other luthiers making sensatioal Acoustics you know.........and due to 2nd hand prices being low for them, they can be a bargain...obviously i use that term loosely...

heres a few suggestions perhaps...

Vintage gibson check out Fairbanks....tone for days.......one of these went for £1200 a while back on Ebay why i didnt buy it i will never know

Greven.......

http://www.dreamguitars.com/sold-guitars/4425-greven_000_2150/

Franklin Guitars

Tippin Guitars

too name a few

ourmaninthenorth · April 2016

Lowden's are A frame braced, making them sound different to their American counterparts. It's difficult to make a meaningful comparison, and as always, it boils down to which you personally prefer. Fwiw I think every Lowden I've owned or played has been a masterpiece.

Wazmeister · April 2016

My GAS is strong for a Lowden... Methinks my beloved Taylor may be sold or p/x

west · April 2016

I have an incredible F35 c koa back and sides spruce top , i was playing with a mate with his taylor 614ce maple back and sides last night , the taylor pales acoustically and electrically , its slightly easier to play ergonomically ....

ourmaninthenorth · April 2016

Wazmeister said:

My GAS is strong for a Lowden... Methinks my beloved Taylor may be sold or p/x

Just to help you along the way...my old 035 Bastogne Walnut and Cedar...

Slightly more subtly voiced than my personal favourite the 025, which I sold to buy the 035. Once played, for me at least, nothing else will really do..believe me I've wasted a lot of time trying...

west · April 2016

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1290445020969854&set=pb.100000131046063.-2207520000.1460804671.&type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1290445380969818&set=pb.100000131046063.-2207520000.1460804671.&type=3&theater

not sure if these links work ...... when i had some work done on it george told me it used to be a wardrobe lol could have been blarney though ....

ourmaninthenorth · April 2016

west said:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1290445020969854&set=pb.100000131046063.-2207520000.1460804671.&type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1290445380969818&set=pb.100000131046063.-2207520000.1460804671.&type=3&theater

not sure if these links work ...... when i had some work done on it george told me it used to be a wardrobe lol could have been blarney though ....

Yeah, they work fine.

What a fantastic guitar.

CloudNine · April 2016

I just parted with this Redwood/Koa F50 a few weeks ago. Sold to a lovely chap form Northern Ireland. Incredible guitar, build quality perfect, sustain for ever, could not find fault. But ultimately not the style I really need, and a lot of money to have tied up in something that is not 100% right for you.

I have played loads of Taylors of all price brackets, none have come close to this F50. Had a few other lower spec Lowdens as well, and they are all 95% as good really. To me, they are pure fingerstyle guitars though.

I have a J45 Legend that finger picks almost as well, but does everything else far better, hence me selling the F50. Was still painful to sell such an amazing instrument though......

ourmaninthenorth · April 2016

@CloudNine...

That is simply superb...

west · April 2016

ourmaninthenorth said:

west said:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1290445020969854&set=pb.100000131046063.-2207520000.1460804671.&type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1290445380969818&set=pb.100000131046063.-2207520000.1460804671.&type=3&theater

not sure if these links work ...... when i had some work done on it george told me it used to be a wardrobe lol could have been blarney though ....

Yeah, they work fine.

What a fantastic guitar.

Cheers , it plays and sounds fab ! the neck took a little getting used to though ....

west · April 2016

@CloudNine ; exquisite f50 must have been hard decision to sell, cant imagine selling mine !

BowynMadley · April 2016

The neck I'd say is more love or hate than the sound I thought. I play mostly with a pick but the shape and feel of the neck made me want to finger pick it. It doesn't matter how brilliant it sounds if its not comfortable for you to play.

ICBM · April 2016

CloudNine said:

I have a J45 Legend that finger picks almost as well, but does everything else far better, hence me selling the F50. Was still painful to sell such an amazing instrument though......

I had an original '61 J45 that I had to sell when I needed money and I had it and the Lowden O10. I much preferred the Gibson, but the Lowden had a pickup system and I was gigging in an acoustic band with it, and the Gibson was too old and fragile to gig really.

Still a mistake which I regret after twenty years...

tbm · April 2016

It's funny, I was going to start a thread about how I don't get the Taylor thing. Wanted to pick a up a beater acoustic to have lying around the living room that I didn't mind my kids knocking over (my little Recording King OOO 12 fretter was getting banjaxed), so I was in a shop checking out what they had.

While I was there I played a few Collings, Lowdens, Larrivees, Gibsons, Taylors, Takamines and Martins in various price brackets. Now I should say I'm not a seasoned acoustic player, but I think I know a good guitar when I play one. While I'm not sure I get what Collings and Lowdens offer to make them so outrageously pricey, they are uniformly beautiful sounding and playing things. But I found very little difference between Gibson, Takamine and Martins guitars from €4/500 to €2000 in terms of sound and playability. The level of bling seems to be what you pay for at the upper end. But the Taylors just sounded completely anaemic next to almost everything else except the cheapest nastiest Epiphone. Tiny necks too. And these were very expensive guitars. Is it a live thing? They're so popular, and I'm not pre disposed to disliking them (like I would be with most PRS's for example) but I was pretty shocked at how badly they stacked up against everything else.

ICBM · April 2016

I've never felt inspired by one, certainly. I did own a 312CE for a few years when I wanted a decent electro-acoustic, and that was the best I could find in my price range - but I never loved it. It also sounded slightly better than the much more expensive 812 the shop had at the same time - second hand, so it would only have cost me a hundred more than the cheap one, but I didn't like it. I find all the more expensive ones overpriced, they're no better than the cheaper ones usually - just fancier and twice the price.

I've never found their necks 'tiny', but they are quite shallow. I used to not mind that but now I don't like it. Apparently they've recently increased the width too, which I dislike. Part of the problem is that they set the action too low at the factory (in my opinion) to make them easy to play, but it kills the tone.

The one I had was the older Fishman-electrics version. It sounded OK but I ended up fitting a Rare Earth soundhole pickup as well, which improved it. I also strongly dislike the Expression System, although I haven't played the MkII version yet.

But… all that said I still preferred my 312 to my Lowden.

And still one of the best live acoustic sounds I've ever heard was Lloyd Cole playing his 612, close up enough that I could hear the guitar as well as the sound through the PA. It was part of the reason I bought mine, although it never sounded anywhere near close to that. (Tone is in the player…)

mellowsun · April 2016

One thing to watch out for with Lowden's is that some can have, or develop over time, a high action. They can be set up pretty high in the factory partly because they are so resonant the action needs to be a bit higher. You need to try a few.

The benefit of Taylor's is that they have an adjustable neck which makes correcting this easier. Taylor's have low, electric-like action anyway.

CloudNine · April 2016

I would question the above comments.. Most acoustic guitars will develop higher actions over the long term, I don't think Lowdens are any more susceptible than other brands. Certainly nothing i have ever heard about or seen.

And I believe they come from the factory with a higher action to allow the customer to adjust to taste. Easier to drop action than raise it (i.e. new saddle). Many fingerstyle players like quite a high action as certain techniques really move the strings, more so than with a pick.

Can't imagine why resonance would really necessitate a higher action.... Lowdens can be setup really low, just like any other guitar. Certainly the ones I have had were easy to get very low actions on, due to the incredible build quality, straight neck etc., and certainly no issues relating to resonance.

ourmaninthenorth · April 2016

Agree with CloudNine. The first 025 Lowden I bought in the 90's had factory fitted tiny shims under the bridges - to facilitate fitting undersaddle pickups - thus leaving the factory set action unaltered. Being the messer that I am, I simply removed them, restrung, lower action, bob's your proverbial. I've never had a single issue with a Lowden that a bit of fettling won't cure. I'm on my third, and must have played 30 over the years.

I've recently re-strung with some Newtone Heritage Series low tension strings - never used them before - they are a revelation, zero tone loss and bendable ( and I mean really bendable ) Kossoff on a Lowden...

)

AliGorie · May 2016

BowynMadley said:

Then he hands me a Lowden O25 cedar/rosewood. Thats when my life changed forever. What a thing! Just sheer perfection in every way. It was beyond a doubt the best acoustic I've ever played or even heard played. It was clear as a bell, resonated beautifully and played better than I thought possible. The sound it made was intoxicating.
So cut a long story short I now have insufferable GAS for a O25.

I know the feeling Bowyn

I got mine in many years ago.
Lowdens and Taylor make great guitars and I don't see them as in competition - better / worse.
Sure they are both 'steel strung flat topped guitars' but if you look at how they're used (typical players) you'll see they fill different niches.

AliGorie · May 2016

AuldReekie said:

Feel Lowdens are overpriced,
My Nigel Forster acoustic is different class though and if you are willing to spend Lowden type money, than a custom build might be the way to go

my O25, actually 'L25' back then - latifolia = Rosewood, cost me £740 - almost 30 years of pleasure and still a 'reference' for assessing other guitars by.
Nigel makes superb instruments - if I was 'in the market' for a fine guitar I'd be 'chapping his door'.

BowynMadley · May 2016

I got mine in 1988 Serial No. 717

can I say, Lowdens and Taylor make great guitars and I don't see them as in competition - better / worse.

Sure they are both 'steel strung flat topped guitars' but if you look at how they're used (typical players) you'll see they fill different niches.[/quote]

Has it aged well?

The problem I have is that I've played tens of Taylors of all different models, wood varieties, price brackets all whilst using different playing techniques. I've never played one that spoke to me or felt remotely inspiring. To me it's like they've built it to be efficient rather than sound quality and charactor. It's like owning a classic car or motorcycle. Yes they break down, leak oil but they are just more fun than the average Eurobox. It's a daft debate to be fair because everyones opinions will differ and we are lucky enough to be able to pick and choose to our needs

Bo

AliGorie · May 2016

as I say above Bo,
"still a 'reference' for assessing other guitars by." - structurally it's in very fine condition, just the normal wear and ding mark's u'd expect. I had the frets stoned and re-profiled in the early 2000's after a decade of gigging activity - still going.
They are, made in a 'Small Shop' environment where the team care about what they do - make musical instruments, to the best of their abilities, I know a couple of the team.
As I alluded too above - note the artist who use them (and what kind of music they play) - speaks volumes, they don't get them for free as Thomas Leeb points out in one of the Lowden videos - .

ourmaninthenorth

Newtone master class and DR Rares have been my choice for all my guitars for decades - if u don't have 'devil sweat', there hard to beat - v/high quality bronze alloy used in the winding.

Wazmeister · May 2016

Well, Ive been on an interesting acoustic journey lately...

Ive played a LOT of acoustics, and Im just about to sell my gorgeous rare Taylor... I will say this; mine is a 2004 Ltd 30th and ive yet to play ANY recent/new ones that come close to it. Maybe they were better made back then...

I spent around 3 hours with Doug at Coda last week; tried everything.

The om/000 body style seems to suit me. Loved every Lowden I picked up, and was tempted by the very high end stuff - it was gorgeous !

Martins generally disappoint but there were a few nuggets there. But in the end, i brought a Collings OM1 Mahogany Custom. A simply stunning instrument, with a gorgeous aged sunburst.

http://i1160.photobucket.com/albums/q493/Warren3333/FullSizeRender_15.jpg

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories

In this Discussion

Become a Subscriber!

Oh dear Taylor. Lowdens got you beat

Comments